LIBRARY OF CONGRESS, 

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Shelf.._Cy.&. 



UNITED STATES OF AMERICA, 



STUDIES 



IN 

Bible and Church History 

AND DOCTRINES. 
Prepared for the Use of Epworth Leagues. 

By REV. L. F. YOUNG, 

Of the Cincinnati Annual Conference of the Methodist 
Episcopal Church. 

WITH AN 

INTRODUCTION BY REV. J. F. MARLAY, D. D. 



CINCINNATI: CRANSTON & STOWE. 
NEW YORK : HUNT & EATON. 



PREFACE. 



The design of this little treatise is to help 
carry forward the central thought of the Ep- 
worth League movement ; namely, to train our 
young people in the study of God's Word, and 
in the history and doctrines of our own Church. 
It has been prepared in the midst of the numer- 
ous and pressing duties of the pastorate, and 
has the advantage of having borne the test 
of a practical application in the special field 
for which it has been prepared. 

This little work is not designed to take the 
place of larger and more thorough works, nor 
does it claim to treat, with anything like full- 
ness, the special fields over which it roams. 
The Bible studies, in the Pentateuch and in 
the Gospels, are given by way of illustrations 
of what may be carried out almost indefinitely 
throughout other portions of God's Word. 
The history of Methodism has been given in 
the briefest possible form, while the treatment 
of the doctrines of the Church is somewhat 



4 



PREFACE. 



more full and complete. Speculative questions 
have been avoided as much as possible. The 
writer has tried to guard every point, so that 
the gospel might give no uncertain sound. 

The author would acknowledge his indebt- 
edness to Binney's " Theological Compend," 
the " Methodist Discipline," and other larger 
and smaller works. The form in which the 
entire work is written will explain itself, and 
we think will be commended by those for 
whom it has been prepared. With the above 
brief notes by way of explanation, the author 
sends it forth on its mission, trusting that it 
may prove a blessing to others. 

L. F. Y. 



CONTENTS. 



PAGE. 



Preface, 3 

Introduction, 7 

CHAPTER I. 

STUDIES IN THE PENTATEUCH. 

Section I. — Introductory, 11 

II. — Genesis, 14 

III. — Exodus, . 24 

IV. — Leviticus, 27 

V— Numbers, 30 

VI. — Deuteronomy, 32 

CHAPTER II. 

STUDIES IN THE GOSPELS. 

Section I. — Introductory, 35 

II. — The Leading Characteristics of Each, . 36 
III. — The Gospels in General, 40 

CHAPTER III. 

STUDIES IN THE HISTORY OF METHODISM. 

Section I. — Wesleyan Methodism, 49 

II. — American Methodism, 51 

III. — The Polity of Methodism, 53 

IV. — The Benevolent Enterprises of the 

Church, 58 

V.— The Duty of Benevolence, 63 

5 



6 



CONTENTS. 



CHAPTER IV. 

THE DOCTRINES OF THE CHURCH. 

Section I. — Doctrines in General, ......... 67 

II.— The Godhead and Trinity, ...... 68 

III. — The Father, the Son, and the Holy 

Ghost, 70 

IV— Angels, 76 

V. — Sin and the Conditions of Salvation . . 78 
VI.— The Last Things, 86 

CHAPTER V. 

THE INSTITUTIONS OF CHRISTIANITY. 

Section I. — The Institution of Marriage, . .... 91 
II.— The Institution of the Holy Sabbath, . 92 

CHAPTER VI. 

THE SACRAMENTS OF CHRISTIANITY. 

Section I. — The Sacrament of the Lord's Supper, . 95 
II.— The Sacrament of Baptism, 96 



INTRODUCTION". 



In cfcie of the volumes of the whilom popular 
" Country Parson," there is a chapter "Concern- 
ing People of whom more might have been made," 
and the writer expresses the opinion, from which 
I suppose there can be no dissent, that proper 
early training, self-denial, industry, and perseve- 
rance would have made something far better than 
he now is of every man that breathes. 

As one looks out upon the vast multitude of 
young men and women, going forth annually from 
the school and college, the thought rises unbidden in 
the mind, "What immense latent power, what 
untold capabilities for usefulness are here !" 

It has been said by some one that ours is a 
superficial, frivolous, pleasure-seeking age, and that 
the young especially, with rare exceptions, are dis- 
sipating their energies of mind and body on vain 
and empty amusements. Whether this opinion be 
well or ill-founded, it can not be denied, I think, 

that too many young people, well equipped by 

7 



8 



INTRODUCTION. 



intellect and culture for the highest usefulness, are 
woefully lacking in a worthy and noble purpose, 
and so their life is simply one stupendous inanity — 
a great but utterly wasted opportunity. 

Whatever, therefore, tends to impress young 
people that life is something more than a perpetual 
round of pleasure-seeking, and that even in read- 
ing books there are higher aims than amusement, 
is to be heartily commended and encouraged. 
The work of Chautauqua, in this respect, has been 
great and beneficent and far-reaching. The Ep- 
worth League, in addition to its purely spiritual 
aims, proposes to furnish a series of courses in 
reading, adapted to the needs and tastes of the 
young, embracing a Bible study course, the young 
Christian's course, the John Wesley course, a short 
course in Methodism, as well as readings in general 
history, literature, and science. 

The present volume, " Studies in Bible Doc- 
trines and Church History," is designed to be put 
into the hands of young people, particularly mem- 
bers of the Epworth League, with a view to in- 
crease their knowledge, and stimulate their love 
for the Word of God and the Church of God. It 
is the outgrowth of the author's exceptionally sue- 



INTRODUCTION. 



9 



cessful work among the young people of his own 

congregation, and I warmly commend it as a 

manual worthy to take its place at once in the 

Ep worth League reading course. 

J. F. MARL AY. 

Xenia, April 2, 1890. 



A S the profoundest philosophy of ancient Rome and 
£ Greece lighted her taper at Israel's altar, so the 

sweetest strains of the pagan muse were swept from 

harps attuned on Zion's hill. 

— BISHOP THOMSON. 

Search the Scriptures, for in them ye think ye have 
eternal life, and they are they which testify of me. 

— JESUS. 

IG 



STUDIES. 



Chapter I. 
STUDIES IN THE PENTATEUCH. 

Section I. — Introductory. 

1. What reasons have we for supposing that 
God would give to us a revelation of himself? 

Am. We discover such reasons in the nature 
and character of God, as well as in the nature 
and character of man. God is capable of giving 
such a revelation, and man is capable of com- 
prehending it. 

2. Why was such a revelation necessary ? 

Ans. Because there were numerous and press- 
ing questions of life and destiny which nature 
never could have answered. 

3. Revelation being distinguished into oral and 
written, will you explain the difference? 

Ans. Oral revelation is communicated by word 
of mouth, while a written revalation is such as we 
find recorded in the Bible. 

4. In what form was the first revelation given 
to the world, written or oral? 

Am. Oral. 

11 



12 



STUDIES. 



5. What would be the difference between a 
supernatural revelation and a divine revelation ? 

Ans. A divine reveletion must come from 
God, while a supernatural revelation might come 
from a being greater than man and yet less than 
God. 

6. By whom was the first written revelation 
given to the world? 

Ans. By Moses. 

7. In how many books was the first written 
revelation given, and what are they sometimes 
called ? 

Ans. It was given in five books, and was 
called the Pentateuch. 

8. What evidences have we that the Bible is 
the word of God ? 

Ans. The evidences are both internal and ex- 
ternal. As to the internal, we have the two great 
branches of prophecy and miracles; as to the ex- 
ternal, we have its effects produced upon the 
nations, and also the experimental evidence. It 
answers the deepest wants of man's spiritual nature. 

9. What, then, are the two great branches of 
evidences found in the Bible itself? 

Ans. Prophecy and miracles. 

10. What is the meaning of a miracle? 

Ans. It is an act which none but God could 
perform. 



IN TEE PENTATEUCH. 



13 



11. What is the meaning of prophecy? 

Ans. It is the fortelling of future events which 
could be known only to God. 

12. What do we mean when we say that the 
Bible is a book of credibility ? 

Ans. We mean that it is worthy of our belief. 

13. What do we mean when w T e say that the 
Bible is an authentic book ? 

Ans. We mean that its several parts were 
written by the men whose names they bear. 

14. What do we mean when we say that the 
Bible is an inspired book ? 

Ans. We mean that its several parts were 
produced under the influence of the Holy Spirit; 
that holy men wrote as they were moved by the 
Holy Spirit. (2 Peter i, 21.) 

15. Were the writers or their ivritings the object 
of this Divine Influence? 

Ans. Their writings. The writers were to pass 
away, but their writings were to remain. 

16. What is the first fact presumptively taught 
us in the Bible ? 

Ans. The existence of God. 

17. Do the inspired writers enter into any pro- 
tracted arguments to prove the fact of the ex- 
istence of God ? If not, why not ? 

Ans. They do not, because His works prove 
His existence. 



14 



STUDIES. 



Section II. — Genesis. 

18. What is the first book in the Bible called, 
and what is the meaning of the word ? 

Arts. The book is called Genesis, and means 
beginning or origin. 

19. In writing the book of Genesis, was Moses 
writing entirely from personal knowledge? 

Arts. He was not. 

20. Where was Moses born ? Where did he 
die, and who buried him? 

Ans. He was born in Egypt. He died on Mount 
Nebo, and God buried him. 

21. What was his divinely appointed mission? 
Ans. To lead God's people out of the house of 

bondage, and to bring them to the promised land. 

22. By whom was Moses rescued from the 
river of Egypt ? 

Ans. By the daughter of Pharaoh. 

23. What caused his flight into the wilderness? 
Ans. He slew an Egyptian whom he saw smitiug 

one of his brethren. 

24. How old was he at that time? 
Ans. Forty years. 

25. Where did he get his wife? 
Ans. In the land of Midian. 

26. What supernatural sight appeared to him 
in the wilderness ? 



IN THE PENTATEUCH. 



15 



Ans. God appeared to him in a burning bush. 

27. When God told him to go down into 
Egypt to deliver his people, what objection did 
he offer? 

Ans. He was not eloquent, but was slow of 
speech. 

28. Moses being slow of speech, who was ap- 
pointed to be his spokesman? 

Ans. Aaron, his brother. 

29. What position did Aaron afterward hold 
under the Mosaic economy? 

Ans. He was high-priest. 

30. How many days was God employed in the 
work of creation? 

Am. Six days. 

31. What did he create on each day? 
Ans. First day, He created light. 
Second day, He created the firmament. 
Third day, He created grass and herbs. 
Fourth day, He created the sun, moon, and stars. 
Fifth day, He created the various living crea- 
tures. 

Sixth day, He created man. 

32. What did God do on the seventh day ? 
Ans. He rested from all his works. 

33. What was the crowning work of creation ? 
Ans. Man. 



16 



STUDIES. 



34. How was man created? 

Ans t He was created out of the dust of the 
ground, and God breathed into him the breath of 
life, and man became a living soul. 

35. What was the name of man's original 
home, and where was it located? 

Arts.. The Garden of Eden, and its location is 
not known. 

36. How was woman created ? 

Ans. And the Lord God caused a deep sleep to 
fall upon Adam, and he slept, and he took one of 
his ribs, and closed up the flesh instead thereof, 
and the rib which the Lord God had taken from 
man made he a woman, and brought her unto the 
man. (Gen. ii, 21, 22.) 

37. How was man's obedience tested? 

Ans. And the Lord God commanded the man, 
saying of every tree of the garden thou mayst 
freely eat, but of the tree of the knowledge of 
good and evil thou shall not eat of it, for in the 
day that thou eatest thereof thou shalt surely die. 
(Gen ii, 16, 17.) 

38. What is the meaning of the fall of man ? 
Ans. He lost the divine image in which he was 

created. 

39. What is the first description we have given 
us of man? » 

Ans. That of holiness and purity. 



IN THE PENTATEUCH. 



17 



40. What is meant by the inspired statement 
that man was created in the image of God? 

Ans. He was like God in moral purity. 

41. Does man still retain that image? If not, 
how and when was it lost? 

Ans, He does not. It was lost by transgression. 

42. Aside from the Scriptural account of man's 
origin, will you name and explain two of the 
principal theories which have been held and ad- 
vocated ? 

Ans. Spontaneous generation, wdiich means 
that man was the natural product of the various 
circumstances in the midst of which he made 
his appearance upon the earth. Second, Evolu- 
tion, which means that man has gradually as- 
cended from the lowest orders of living creatures 
until he has arrived ultimately at his present 
condition. 

43. What were the names of the two first sons 
of Adam and Eve, and what were their occupa- 
tions ? 

Ans, Cain and Abel. The first was a tiller of 
the ground ; the second was a keeper of flocks. 

44. Why did God accept the offerings of the 
one, and reject those of the other? 

Ans. It is to be traced to the difference in the 
spirit of the worshipers themselves. 

2 



18 



STUDIES. 



45. Good and evil having been introduced 
into the world, which made the most rapid in- 
crease ? 

Ans. Evil. 

46. When God saw that the wickedness of 
man was great in the earth, what did he determine 
to do ? 

Ans. He determined to destroy the world with 
a flood. 

47. Who was commanded to build an ark, and 
how long was it in building ? 

Ans. Noah. Perhaps one hundred and twenty 
years. 

48. How long did the flood continue, and 
what sign did God give indicating that he would 
no more destroy the world with a flood ? 

Ans. One hundred and fifty days. By placing 
a bow in the clouds. 

49. Not willing to accept God's promise, what 
did the descendants of Noah attempt to do, and 
how did God frustrate their purposes? 

Ans. They attempted to build a tower reach- 
ing to heaven. God confused their tongues. 

50. Were Adam and Eve presumably the first 
probationary beings in the universe? 

Ans. They were not. It is presumable that 
each created intelligence had been tried and tested 
by a probationary existence. 



IN THE PENTATEUCH. 



19 



51. So far as we know, who was the first re- 
bellious being in the universe? 

Ans. Satan. 

52. Was the great plan of redemption in- 
tended to affect our race alone? 

Ans. We think not. 

53. What were the names of the three sons of 
Noah, and what nations descended from them ? 

Ans. Shem, Ham, Japheth. The descendants 
of Shem dwelt in Arabia, and from the Mediter- 
ranean Sea to the Indian Ocean. The descendants 
of Ham were the Egyptians and Canaanites, the 
dark-colored races. The descendants of Japheth, 
the light-colored races who occupied the isles of 
Greece and Asia Minor. 

54. Who is said to have been the friend of 
God and father of the faithful? 

Ans. Abraham. 

55. Where was he born? 

Ans. In the land of Ur of Chaldees. (Gen. 
xi, 31.) 

56. Where was he when God called him, and 
how old was he at that time? 

Ans. He was at Haran, and was seventy-five 
years old. 

57. What did God tell him to do, and what 
promise did he make him? 

Ans. First, to leave his father's house and 



20 



STUDIES. 



journey to a strange land ; second, that he would 
make of him a great nation, and that in his seed 
(in Christ), all nations should be blest. 

58. Did Abraham ever visit the land of 
Canaan ? 

Ans. He did. (Gen xii, 6.) 

59. The land having been promised to him, 
did he ever take possession of it ? 

Ans. He did not. He never had any greater 
possession in the promised land than that of a 
burying place. 

60. What providential design is discernible 
in tbe call of Abraham? 

Ans. God designed to have a nation separated 
from all other nations to instruct them in his true 
worship. 

61 Why was his name changed from Abram 
to Abraham ? 

Ans. He was to be the father of many nations. 
(Gen. xvii, 5.) 

62. How old was he when Isaac was born? 
Ans. Nearly one hundred. (Gen. xvii, 1.) 

63. What nation descended from Abraham ? 
Ans. The Hebrew nation. 

64. In what country and how long were his 
descendants to be in bondage? 

Ans. In Egypt during four hundred years. 



PENTATEUCH. 



21 



65. Did Abraham ever visit the land of their 
bondage ? 

Ans. He did. (Gen. xii, 10.) 

66. How old was Abraham when he died, and 
where was he buried ? 

Ans. He was one hundred and seventy-five 
years. (Gen. xxv, 7.) He w T as buried in Mach- 
pelah. (Gen. xxv, 9.) 

67. Will you mention several of the more 
prominent facts in the life of Abraham ; also state 
some of his leading characteristics? 

Ans. (a) His call; (6) His willingness to offer 
Isaac ; (c) The battle of the kings, his leading 
characteristics; (a) Faith; (b) Devoutness; (c) 
Benevolence. 

68. What are the principal facts recorded in 
the life of Isaac? 

Ans. (1) The incident connected with his 
birth ; (2) His submission to his father when 
about to be offered as a sacrifice ; (3) His marriage. 

69. Was the Divine promise repeated to Isaac 
which had been given to Abraham. 

Ans. It was. (Gen. xxvi, 3.) 

70. How old was Isaac when Jacob was born ? 
Ans. He was sixty years old. (Gen. xxv, 26.) 

71. What caused Jacob to leave his fathers 
house ? 



22 



STUDIES. 



Ans. The wrath of his brother Esau. (Gen. 
xxvii, 41.) 

72. While on his way what sight appeared to 
him in a dream, and where was it? 

Ans. He beheld a ladder reaching from earth 
to heaven. It was at Bethel. (Gen. xxviii: 12.) 

73. How did he show his love for Rachel, 
who afterward became his wife? 

Ans. He served fourteen years for her. (Gen. 
xxix, 20, 30.) 

74. Twenty years having passed since he left 
his fathers house, he now prepares to return, who 
appeared to him at a certain brook, and in what 
form ? 

Aiis. God, in the form of man. (Genesis 
xxxii: 24.) 

75. What was the new name given to him, 
and why was it given ? 

Ans. Israel. Because as a prince he had pre- 
vailed. (Gen. xxxvii : 28.) 

76. What was the name of his favorite son ? 
Ans. Joseph. 

77. What led to J oseph's being sold into Egypt ? 
Ans. The envy of his brethren. (Genesis 

xxxvii: 4.) 

78. How may the unfoldings of Divine Provi- 
dence be traced in the fact of his being sold a 
slave into Egypt? 



IN THE PENTATEUCH, 23 



Ans. He was sent to prepare the way for his 
people, who were to be in bondage in Egypt four 
hundred years. 

79. How old was he at that time? 
Ans. About seventeen years old. 

80. Did he remain a slave; if not, what led 
to his exaltation? 

Ans. He did not. God enabled him to in- 
terpret Pharaoh's dreams, which brought him into 
favor with the king, and led to his exaltation. 

81. Did his brethren ever visit Egypt? If 
so, will you relate the circumstances? 

Ans. They did. A famine in their own land 
led them to go into Egypt to buy corn. 

82. When dying, what request did he make of 
his brethren, and how did that request show his 
faith in God's promises? 

Am. The land of Canaan had been divinely 
promised to his people. He anticipated the time 
when they should be freed from Egypt, and take 
possession of the land of Promise, and he desired 
that his bones might rest in the promised land. 
(Gen. 1, 24, 25.) 

83. Was this promise fulfilled by the Hebrews 
when they left Egypt? 

Ans. It was. 

84. Will you relate the principal facts to be 
gleaned from the Book of Genesis? 



24 



STUDIES. 



Ans. (a) The creation of the world and its in- 
habitants; (6) The creation of Adam and Eve; 
(c) The fall of man ; (d) The introduction of sin 
into the world ; (e) The flood ; (/) The call of 
Abraham and the various facts connected with his 
life and history; (g) The selling of Joseph into 
Egypt. 

Section III. — Exodus. 

85. What is the second book in the Bible 
called, and what is the meaning of the word? 

Ans. Exodus, and meaning a going out or de- 
parture. 

86. What is the main object of the book, and 
over how much time does it extend? 

Aiis. It relates God's dealings with his ancient 
people in delivering them out of the house of 
Egyptian bondage, and also relates their wilder- 
ness experiences. The book extends over a period 
of two hundred and fifteen years. 

87. Who was on the throne of Egypt at this 
time ? 

Ans. Pharaoh. 

88. How long had the Hebrews been in Egypt 
where the Book of Exodus begins, and how much 
longer were they to remain ? 

Ans. They had been in bondage three hundred 
and twenty years, where the Book of Exodus be- 
gins, and were to remain eighty years. 



IN THE PENTATEUCH. 25 



89. What terrible decree did the king of 
Egypt make, as recorded in the first chapter? 

Ans. That all the male infants among the 
Hebrews were to be put to death. 

90. Who was raised up by God and became 
the great deliverer of his people, and how was he 
prepared for his work ? 

Ans. Moses. His preparation for his great 
work was threefold : 1st, He received moral and 
spiritual instruction from his own mother in the 
days of his childhood. After he grew to manhood 
he was educated in all the wisdom of the Egyp- 
tians, and finally he was under special training 
from God himself during forty years in the wilder- 
ness. 

91. What miraculous signs demonstrated his 
divine commission ? 

Ans. The various miracles performed by him 
in the land of Egypt. 

92. When he demanded the deliverance of the 
Hebrews what four concessions did the king make? 

Ans. He conceded that they might offer sac- 
rifices in the land of Egypt. (Ex. viii, 25.) 2d, 
They might go outside the land, only they should 
not go very far away ; 3d, They might go, pro- 
viding they would leave their wives and children 
in Egypt ; 4th. They might go, providing they 
would leave their possessions behind. 



26 



STUDIES. 



93. Were the above concessions accepted by 
Moses as God's minister? 

Ans. They were not. 

94. Everything being in readiness for their 
departure, what memorial institution was inau- 
gurated on the eve of their departure ? 

Ans. The Passover. 

95. What did the Passover typify? 
Ans. Christ as our Passover. 

96. How long was it to continue, and what has 
taken its place in the Christian Church? 

Ans. It w T as to continue until the death of 
Christ, and the sacrament of the Lord's Supper 
has taken its place in the Christian Church. 

97. Will you relate some of the miraculous 
demonstrations which occurred during their jour- 
neys in the wilderness? 

Ans. 1st. The rock sending forth water ; 2d. 
The heavens raining manna; 3d. The giving of the 
two tables of the law. 

98. What great law was given to them ? 
Ans. The Ten Commandments. 

99. Where were the Ten Commandments given ? 
Am. On Mount Sinai. 

100. What is the difference between the Ten 
Commandments and the ceremonial law ? 

Ans. The Ten Commandments were to last until 



IN THE PENTATEUCH. 27 

the end of time, while the ceremonial law was to 
end with the first coming of Christ. 

101. What new commandment was added by 
Christ himself to the original ten ? 

Ans. To love one another. 

102. How many years did they journey in the 
wilderness? 

Ans. Forty years. 

103. Did any who came out of Egypt after- 
ward enter the land of Canaan? 

Ans. One, Joshua. 

Section IV. — lyKviTicus. 

104. What is the third book of the Bible 
called, and what is the meaning of the word? 

Ans. Leviticus. It means the book of laws 
and ceremonies. 

105. How much time does it cover? 
Ans. One month. 

106. What are the office and work of the 
priesthood ? 

Ans. They had charge of the religious cere- 
monies and temple services. In a certain sense 
they stood in God's stead and offered the various 
sacrifices for the people. 

107. What family from among the Hebrews 
were divinely set apart for that work? 



28 



STUDIES. 



Ans. The family of Levi. 

108. Was Aaron the first priest of whom 
mention is made in the Bible ? 

Arts. He was not. Melchizedek. 

109. How many distinct courses were there 
among the priests, and what were their duties? 

Ans. There were twenty-four. Each course in 
turn had charge of the temple services. There 
was one who bore the title of high priest who was 
permitted to enter the holy of holies, which he 
did once a year on the great day of atonement. 

110. How were the priests supported? 

Ans. In part by the free-will offerings of the 
people. 

111. How long was the Jewish priesthood to 
continue ? 

Ans. Till the coming and death of Christ. 

112. What did the Jewish priesthood typify? 
Ans. It typified Christ as our High Priest. 

113. Will you explain in what particulars 
Christ as our High Priest excels all others? 

Ans. Christ excels all other priests, 1st. In his 
own character; 2d. In the blood which he offers; 
3d. In the place which he occupies. 

114. Where does Christ exercise his priestly 
office? 



IN THE PENTATEUCH. 



29 



Ans. In the true Holy of Holies, in the 
heavenly world. 

115. In the ceremonial law we have a distinc- 
tion made between the clean and the unclean 
meats, to be used by the Hebrews. Will you 
mention a few of each? 

Ans. Refer to eleventh chapter of Leviticus. 

116. Will you mention some of the more 
prominent feasts mentioned in Leviticus? 

Ans. 1st. The Passover. The celebration of this 
feast was to be a perpetual reminder to the 
Hebrews of their deliverance from death on that 
terrible night when the Angel of death passed 
over the land of Egypt, and smote the first-born of 
every Egyptian household, from the king down to 
the humblest subject. The Hebrews were com- 
manded to sprinkle blood on their door-posts, 
which, when the angel saw, he passed them by. 
It signified the coming of Christ, who offered him- 
self as our Passover. 2d. The feast of Pentecost, 
which means the first-fruits of the harvests which 
were to be offered unto the Lord ; it might be 
called the Agricultural Feast. It was given in an- 
ticipation of the coming harvest in the same sense 
in which the resurrection of Christ is said to be 
the first-fruits of those who sleep. 3d. The Feast 
of Ingathering, or the Feast of Tabernacles. While 



30 



STUDIES. 



the Feast of Pentecost took place at the beginning 
of the harvest ; the Feast of Tabernacles took place 
at the end of the harvest, when the fruits had 
been gathered in. It was a kind of a harvest 
home, and reminds us of that future harvest home, 
when the ripe and golden sheaves of God's own 
planting shall be gathered into the heavenly gran- 
aries. 

117. Will you mention some of the principal 
offerings ? 

Ans. 1st. The burnt-offerings ; 2d. The meat- 
offerings; 3d. The peace-offeriugs; 4th. The sin- 
offerings ; 5th. the trespass-offering. 

Section V. — Numbers. 

118. What is the fourth book in the Bible 
called ? Why is it so called ? 

Ans. Numbers. It is so called because God's 
people were numbered and organized for conquest. 

119. How much time does it cover? 
Ans. Thirty-eight years and three months. 

120. Where were the Hebrews at the opening 
of this fourth book of the Bible ? 

Ans. In the wilderness of Mount Sinai. 

121. What was Moses commanded to do in 
the beginning of the first chapter ? 

Ans. He was commanded to number the people 
by tribes or by families. 



IN THE PENTA TEUCH. 



31 



122. Were the Levites numbered for conquest? 
If not, why not? 

Ans. They were not numbered because they 
were not to go forth to war, and because they 
were set apart for divine service. 

123. Were all the Levites priests, or were the 
priests selected from among the Levites? 

Aiis, They were not all priests, but the priests 
were taken from among them. 

124. Who were sent to examine the land of 
Canaan, and what report did they bring back? 

Ans, There were twelve men sent. They all 
brought back evil reports, with the exception of 
Caleb and Joshua, who tried to stay the tide of 
rebellion which the evil reports of their com- 
panions had caused among the people. Caleb and 
Joshua advised them to go forward to the con- 
quest of the land, saying that they were fully able 
to take it. (Numbers xiv, 6, 7, 8.) 

125. What was the name of the false prophet 
who tried to curse the Hebrews? 

Ans. Balaam. 

126. State some of the principal incidents re- 
corded in the book? 

Ans. 1st. The numbering of the people and the 
organization of the army ; 2d. The sacrificial serv- 
ices; 3d. The distinction made between the clean 
and unclean meats, to be used by the Hebrews ; 



32 



STUDIES. 



4th. The rebellion of Aaron and Miriam against 
Moses ; 5th. The sending of the spies to search the 
land of Canaan ; 6th. The story of Balaam ; 7th. 
The death of the false prophet; 8th. The provision 
made for the division of the land. 

Section VI. — Deuteronomy. 

127. What is the fifth book of the Bible 
called, and what is the meaning of the word? 

Am. Deuteronomy. It means to rehearse or 
repeat what had gone before. 

128. In what form is the book given? 

Arts. It is given in the form of three public 
addresses, which Moses delivered to the people. 

129. Why was it necessary for Moses to re- 
hearse to the people the marvelous interpositions 
of God in behalf of their ancestors in delivering 
them out of the hands of Pharaoh, in providing 
for and in protecting them in their wilderness ex- 
periences afterward ? 

Arts. It was necessary because another genera- 
tion of men and women had made their appear- 
ance upon the stage of action since the departure 
from Egypt. 

130. What are the characters of the three ad- 
dresses given by Moses to the people ? 

Ans. The first address is introductory, remind- 
ing the people of the deliverance from bondage, of 



IN TEE PENTATEUCH. 



33 



God's guidance and protection in their wanderings, 
and their frequent ingratitude, closing with a warn- 
ing from the past and an exhortation to obedience 
n the future. The second address is a practical 
exhibition of the whole law. The third address is 
a solemn renewal of the covenant, witli an im- 
pressive recital of the blessings following obedience 
and of the curse which would result from their 
disobedience of the law. 

131. Did Moses write the entire book? If 
not, what part are we to except? 

Ans. He did not. We are to except that part 
of it, at least, which gives an account of his own 
death and burial. 

132. What did Moses teach the people would 
be the results of obedience, and what would be 
the result of disobedience ? 

Ans. 1st. The results of obedience would be 
prosperity and happiness; 2d. The result of dis- 
obedience would be defeat and distraction. 

133. Will you give an account of the death 
and burial of Moses? 

Ans. He ascended Mount Nebo toward the top 
of Pisgah, and after viewing the promised land as it 
smiled in its beauty and stretched away in its 
grandeur even to the utmost sea, there he died, 
and God buried him. 



3 



T I J HE gospel begins in the individual's heart, and 
* secretly, silently, but powerfully, and without 
force or fraud or noise, it spreads, till the whole nature 
is penetrated by its influence, and assimilated to a new 
character. It is silent as the dew of heaven, but as 
saturating also. Like a sweet stream, it runs along 
many a mile in silent beauty. You may trace its 
course, not by roaring cataracts, and rolling bowlders, 
and rent rocks, but by the belt of verdure, greenness, 
and fertility that extends along its margin. 

— DR. CUMMING. 

The gospel is the warm heart of God's affections 
floating out into immortal bloom. 

— DR. TALMAGE. 

34 



Chapter II. 
A STUDY m THE GOSPELS. 

Section I. — Introductory. 

1. What is the meaning of the term Gospel? 
Ans. It means glad tidings of great joy. 

2. What was the design of the fourfold Gospel 
as recorded by the four evangelists? 

Ans. To give to the world a record of the life 
and character of the God-man, Jesus Christ? 

3. Will you give the names of the four evan- 
gelists ? 

Ans. Matthew, Mark, Luke, aud John. 

4. Do all four of the evangelists treat of pre- 
cisely the same aspects of the character of Christ? 

Ans. They do not. 

5. Are there any real discrepancies between 
their several statements? 

Ans. There are not. 

6. Did the four evangelists originally write for 
the same class of readers? 

Ans. They did not. 

7. Will this fact explain their differences of 
treatment? 

Ans. It will. 

35 



36 



STUDIES. 



8. Do they all begin their records at the same 
period of the Savior's life ? 

Ans. They do not. 

9. At what period of his life does St. Matthew 
begin ? 

Ans. At his birth. 

10. At what period does St. Mark begin his 

record ? 

Ans. At his baptism in the Jordan. 

11. At what period does St. Luke begin? 
Ans. At his birth. 

12. Where does St. John begin? 

Ans. He begins with his pre-existent state of 
being in the dateless eternity of the past, and 
then proceeds to relate his human life from the 
time of his baptism in the Jordan. 

Section II. — The Leading Characteris- 
tics of Each. 

MATTHEW. 

13. Will you give some of the leading char- 
acteristics of St. Matthew's Gospel ? 

Ans. (a) He treats of the human descent of our 
Lord ; (6) He shows that he is the one antitype 
in which all has been fulfilled; (c) In the person 
of Christ the Old Testament passes into the New ; 
the threatenings into the encouragements of the 



IN THE GOSPELS. 



37 



Gospel ; Sinai has passed into the beatitudes of the 
Holy Mount; (d) Finally he treats of the suprem- 
acy of Divine Grace in lifting man from his fallen 
condition. 

14. When did St. Matthew write his Gdspel ? 
Arts, It was probably written about A. D. 42. 

15. For whom did St. Matthew write? 

Ans. Principally for his own countrymen, the 
Jews. 

16. In what language or languages was it first 
written ? 

Ans. It is supposed to have been written in 
both Hebrew and Greek. 

17. What was his previous occupation, and 
what was his original name? 

Ans. He was a toll-collector or a tax-gatherer. 
His name was Levi. 

ST. MARK. 

18. What is the leading characteristic of St. 
Mark's Gospel? 

Ans. Perhaps its leading characteristic is that 
of action or continuous movement. In reading his 
narrative we are hurried along at almost breathless 
haste, until we reach its conclusion. His Gospel is 
written in a most graphic form. He presents the 
Savior as conqueror of all Satanic powers with a 
brevity and a vividness which adds force to the 



38 



STUDIES. 



heroic character portrayed. He does not record 
the longer discourses of our Lord. Event suc- 
ceeds event in rapid succession. His favorite word 
is immediately. His tense is the present tense. 

19. By what other name was this evangelist 
known? 

Ans. By the name of John or John Mark. 

20. Was the author of this Gospel one of the 
original disciples of Christ ? 

Ans. He was not. 

21. Where did he get the facts to form the 
foundation for his narrative? 

Ans. It is supposed by some able scholars that 
he had before him, at the time of his writing, the 
Gospels of both Matthew and Luke. 

22. When was Mark's Gospel written ? 

Ans. This question can not be answered def- 
initely. Probably between A. D. 63 and 70. 

23. For whom did St. Mark write his Gospel? 
Ans. Principally for Gentiles. 

ST. LUKE. 

24. What is the leading characteristic of Luke's 
Gospel ? 

Ans. In Luke's Gospel there is a sense of com- 
pleteness and fullness as well as carefulness of state- 
ment. He claims that he had a perfect under- 
standing of all things from the very beginning. 



m THE GOSPELS. 



39 



The unmistakable evidences of a profound thinker 
and scholar are manifest on every page of his 
narrative. 

25. What was the author's previous occupa- 
tion ? 

Aiis. He was a physician. 

26. When did he write his narrative ? 
Ans. About A. D. 58 or 60. 

27. For whom did Luke write ? 
Ans. Principally for Gentiles. 

28. What other book of the New Testament 
is Luke supposed to have written? 

Ans. The Acts of the Apostles. 

ST. JOHN. 

29. What are some of the leading character- 
istics of St. John's Gospel ? 

Ans. One of the leading characteristics of 
John's Gospel is that he treats of the Divinity and 
of the Lordship of Jesus Christ. He begins his 
narrative by showing that Christ was the creator 
of all things; that he was with God, and that he 
was God. He then proceeds to show how this In- 
finite One became incarnated in human flesh, aud 
became God with us. His subject is the eternal 
Word made flesh. 

30. Where and when did John write his Gospel? 
Ans. It is claimed by some that it was written 



40 



STUDIES. 



at Ephesus, by others it is claimed that it was wrik 
ten from Patmos. The preponderance of evidence 
seems to be in favor of the former place. It was 
written between A. D. 62 and 95. 

31. What led to his banishment to the Isle of 
Patmos ? 

Arts. For the testimony of Jesus and the con- 
fession of his name. (Rev. i, 9.) 

32. How was he compensated for the trials of 
banishment ? 

Arts. A revelation of the heavenly world was 
given to him. The golden gates of the Eternal 
City were thrown wide open to him, and he caught 
a vision of the new Jerusalem, that paradise re- 
gained. 

33. What other portions of the New Testament 
are supposed to have been written by St. John? 

Ans. The three epistles which bear his name 
and the book of Revelation. 

34. He was pre-eminently known by what ap- 
pellation ? 

Ans. The Apostle of Love. 

Section III. — The Gospels in General. 

35. Do the writers of the Gospel regard the 
birth of Jesus in Bethlehem as the beginning of 
his existence? 

Ans. They do not. 



IN THE GOSPELS. ' 41 



36. In what sense is it regarded by them? 

Arts. In the sense of an advent or an incarna- 
tion. It was our world receiving a pre-existent 
visitant. It was a Divine Being enshrined in our 
humanity. 

37. Do they claim to give a full and complete 
history of all his sayings and doings while he so- 
journed among men? 

Ans. They do not. (St. John xxi, 25.) 

38. Who was the forerunner of Christ? 
Arts. John the Baptist. 

39. What human relationship existed between 
them? 

Ans. They were cousins. 

40. What was John's position. 

Ans. He was a connecting link between the old 
dispensation and the new. 

41. What was his twofold mission? 

Ans. To baptize with the baptism uuto repent- 
ance, and to turn the hearts of the people unto 
God; or in other words, to prepare the way for 
the coming of one greater and mightier than him- 
self, whose shoe-latchets he was not worthy to un- 
loose. 

42. How was Christ revealed to John the 
Baptist as the Son of God ? 

Ans. By the Holy Spirit in the form of a 
dove, descending and lighting upon Jesus. 

4 



42 



STUDIES. 



43. When Christ was born into our world, what 

did the angels proclaim ? 

Ans. Good tidings of great joy. (St. Luke 
ii, 9, 10.) 

44. What does this teach us? 

Ans. That the inhabitants of the heavenly 
world are interested in our salvation. 

45. Who came from the East to worship the 
new-born babe, and what did they bring? 

Ans. The wise men. They brought costly 
treasures. 

46. What does their example teach us ? 

Ans. That Jesus is worthy of the costliest and 
best things. 

47. Do the evangelists have very much to say 
about the early youth and the childhood of Jesus? 

Ans. They do not. 

48. What principal fact is recorded in his 
early life, and how old was he at the time ? 

Ans. His visit to Jerusalem and conversation 
with the learned doctors of the day in the temple 
when he was about twelve years of age. 

49. How old was he when he entered upon his 
public ministry ? 

Ans. He was about thirty years of age. 

50. How was he formally inducted into his 
public ministry ? 

Ans. By his baptism in the Jordan. 



IN THE GOSPELS. 



43 



51. What memorable event immediately fol- 
lowed his baptism in the Jordan? 

Arts. His temptation in the wilderness. (Luke 
iv, 1. 

52. Having conquered the great enemy of our 
race in the wilderness, what followed ? 

Ans. He returned into Galilee in the pow r er of 
the Spirit. (Luke xiv, 14.) 

53. When he entered upon the active work of 
his ministry, how many disciples did he select to 
become co-laborers w 7 ith him in laying the founda- 
tion of his kingdom? 

Ans. Twelve. 

54. Did they all prove faithful to him and his 
cause ? 

Ans. They did, with the exception of Judas, 
the traitor, who betrayed his Lord and Master, 
and sold him for thirty pieces of silver. 

55. Did the Jewish rulers reject their true 
Messiah when he made his appearance among 
them ? If so, why. 

Ans. They did, because he failed to undertake 
their deliverance from the bondage of Rome, and 
because he told them plainly of their sins. 

56. Did he come to save them from Roman 
bondage ? 

Ans. He did not. 



44 



STUDIES. 



57. What was the object of his coming ? 
Ans. He came to save them and all his people 

everywhere and in all ages from their sins. He 
also came to live among men a spotless life and to 
die for them. 

58. As a matter of fact, are we saved by 
Christ's life or by his death? 

Ans. We are saved by his death. His death is 
our life. (Heb. ii, 9.) 

59. What was the nature and character of that 
kingdom which he came into this world to establish ? 

Ans. It was spiritual. 

60. What did he declare was to be the seed of 
that kingdom? 

Ans. His own death. (John xii, 24.) 

61. How was it to begin? 

Ans. As a grain of mustard-seed in the hearts 
of a few Galilean fishermen. 

62. Did Christ at any time during his earthly 
life betray the least anxiety for the final success 
of his kingdom ? 

Ans. He did not. 

63. How was his kingdom to be promulgated 
among men? 

Ans. By the preaching of the gospel. 

64. What are two of the mightiest elements 
of the gospel? 

Ans. Faith and love. 



IN THE GOSPELS. 



45 



65. How are other kingdoms maintained in this 
world ? 

Ans. By might of arms and by force of in- 
tellect. 

66. Has the kingdom of Christ been retarded 
in its onward movement by the withdrawal of his 
bodily and visible form from the world ? 

Ans. It has not. 

67. What is to be the final result of this king- 
dom of Christ? 

Ans. It is to spread from sea to sea, and from 
the rivers unto the ends of the earth, until the 
whole earth shall be filled with its glory. 

68. How may we help to carry forward this 
kingdom and consummate this glorious result ? 

Ans. By being made Christ-like in spirit. The 
best way to do good is to be good, 

69. What is the difference between Christ as 
a teacher and other great teachers ? 

Ans. 1st. He lived the doctrines which he 
taught; 2d. He imparted to others the ability to 
live up to the ideal set before them. 

70. Could the evangelists have invented the 
ideal character which they have set before us in 
the four narratives? 

Ans. They could not. 

71. What claim did Christ make for himself? 
Ans. He claimed to be the Divine Son of God. 



46 



STUDIES. 



72. What credentials did he present which 
demonstrated the righteousness of his claims? 

Arts. He performed miracles by controlling the 
laws of nature and mind at will. All nature be- 
came an obedient child at his divine command. 

73. It must be self-evident that either one of 
three things must be true respecting Jesus: Either 
that he was deceived himself, or that he was de- 
ceived by others, or that he was what he claimed 
to be. Which is the most reasonable conclusion? 

Ans. That he was what he claimed to be. 

74. What evidences have we of the truthful- 
ness of his claims ? 

Ans, The evidences are twofold, inward and 
outward. 1st. We have the glorious temple of 
Christian evidences, which has been rising before 
the enraptured gaze of men. In other words, we 
have the Church which has been founded upon 
His divine claims, as well as the marvelous trans- 
formations of human character. 2d. We have the 
inward evidence of the fulfillment of his own 
blessed promise : "Lo, I am with you alway, even 
unto the end of the world." 



THE true and grand idea of a Church is a society 
for the purpose of making men like Christ, earth 
like heaven, the kingdoms of the world the kingdom 
of Christ. • — ARNOLD. 

We live to make our Church a power in the land, 
and to love every other Church that exalts our Christ. 

— BISHOP SIMPSON. 

To me the best preparation for my Sabbath labors 
has ever been a Saturday evening communion with the 
early Methodist preachers, through the media of their 
autobiographies and the tales of their prowess as re- 
hearsed by the historians of our Church. All hail, ye 
conquerors of earth and hell, ye seed-sowers of im- 
perishable germs, ye benefactors of j^our species ! 

— DE. GUARD. 

48 



Chapter III. 



LESSON'S IN THE HISTORY OF 
METHODISM. 

Section I. — Wesleyan Methodism. 

1. Who was the founder of Methodism! 
Ans. John Wesley. 

2. Where, when, and how did Methodism 
originate ? 

Ans. Methodism originated in England in 1739. 
Several young men in the University of Oxford 
banded themselves together for mutual improve- 
ment, for the study of God's Word, and to formu- 
late plans of practical usefulness. They were 
called the Holy Club. 

3. How old was the founder of Methodism 
when he died, and how many members did he 
leave? 

Ans. He was eighty-eight years old, and left one 
hundred and twenty thousand members. 

4. Of what Church was John Wesley a mem- 
ber, and did he ever formally withdraw from that 
Church ? 

Am. He was a member of the Church of Eng- 
land, and never formally withdrew from it. 

4 49 



50 



STUDIES. 



5. Who became the great poet of Methodism ? 
Ans. Charles Wesley. 

6. Will you name a few of his most popular 
hymns? 

Ans. 1st. Jesus, lover of my soul; 2d. A 
charge to keep I have ; 3d. Come, thou Almighty 
King; 4th. Christ, the Lord, is risen to-day. 

7. What other member of the original Oxford 
Club became the most celebrated orator of any 
age ? 

Ans. Rev. George Whitefield. 

8. What caused the separation between White- 
field and Wesley? 

Ans. Whitefield accepted the doctrines of Cal- 
vinism, which Wesley rejected. 

9. What great writer outside of Methodism 
came to the defense of Mr. Wesley and his doctrines ? 

Ans. Rev. John Fletcher. 

10. What two great commentators lived and 
wrote in the early days of Methodism ? 

Ans. Dr. Adam Clarke and Dr. Joseph Benson. 

11. What other great theologian exerted a 
profound influence upon his own generation, and 
whose theological works hold high rank among 
the ablest writers and thinkers of the present 
day? 

Ans. Rev. Richard Watson. 



IN THE HISTORY OF METHODISM. 51 



12. Did Mr. Wesley himself ever visit the 
United States? 

Ans. He did, in 1736. 

13. What portion of this country did he visit, 
and what was his object in coming? 

Ans. He visited the State of Georgia. He was 
sent out by the Society for the Progagation of the 
Gospel in Foreign Parts. His motives for accept- 
ing this mission were a sincere desire to work out 
his own salvation and a longing to preach Christ 
to the Indians. 

14. How far did Methodism extend at the 
time of Mr. Wesley's death ? 

Ans. Over England, Scotland, Ireland, and 
America. 

Section II. — American Methodism. 

15. How was Methodism introduced into this 
country ? 

Ans. Methodism was introduced into this coun- 
try in about 1766. Among its earliest founders we 
find the names of Barbara Heck, Philip Embury, 
and Captain Webb, persons who had formerly 
belonged to Mr. Wesley's societies in England 
and Ireland. A few years after its commence- 
ment in England, the above-named persons, 
and others whose names have been lost to us, 
were providentially led across the wide waters to 



52 



STUDIES. 



become the pioneers and the forerunners of Meth- 
odism in this country. 

16. Who was the first bishop ordained by Mr. 
Wesley and sent to this country? 

Ans. Bishop Coke. 

17. Who was the first American bishop? 
Ans. Bishop Asbury. 

18. Where and when was the first conference 
held in this country ? 

Ans. The first conference was held in the month 
of December, 1784, in the city of Baltimore, which 
was ever afterward known as the memorable 
Christmas Conference. 

19. What bishops presided at this conference? 
Ans. Bishops Asbury and Coke. 

20. What is the title of the Church in this 
country? 

Ans. The Methodist Episcopal Church. 

21. What is the principal difference in the 
form of government between the Church in Eng- 
land and the one in this country? 

Ans. The Church in England is presided over 
by a president, while the Church in this country 
is presided over by our bishops. 

22. Do both Churches hold the same doctrines? 
Ans. They do. 

23. Have there been any changes in the fun- 



IN THE HISTORY OF METHODISM. 



53 



daraental doctrines of the Church since the days 
of Mr. Wesley ? 

Arts. There have not. 

24. Among the various divisions of the Church, 
have any of them been caused on points of doc- 
trine ? 

Am. They have not. 

Section III. — The Polity of Methodism. 

25. What is the largest conference called? 
Ans. The General Conference. 

26. How often does it meet? 

Ans. Once every four years, in the month of May. 

27. Who presides over the General Conference? 
Am. The bishops. 

28. Who compose the General Conference ? 
Am. At present it is composed of both minis- 
terial and lay delegates. 

29. How are delegates selected for the General 
Conference ? 

Ans. 1st. Each annual conference is entitled to 
one ministerial delegate for every forty-five mem- 
bers. They are to be appointed either by seniority 
or choice, at the discretion of such annual confer- 
ence ; providing, however, that each such delegate 
shall have traveled four lull years from the time he 
was received on trial by an annual conference. 2d. 



54 



STUDIES. 



The lay delegates consist of two lay members for 
each annual conference, except such conferences as 
have but one ministerial delegate, which confer- 
ences shall each be entitled to one lay delegate. 
The lay delegate shall be chosen by an electoral 
conference of laymen, which shall assemble for the 
purpose on the third day of the session of the an- 
nual conference at the place of its meeting, at its 
session immediately preceding that of the General 
Conference. 

30. When were lay members admitted into the 
General Conference? 

Ans. At the General Conference of 1872. 

31. What are the duties of the General Con- 
ference? 

Ans. 1st. To revise the Discipline ; 2d. To elect 
bishops ; 3d. To elect General Conference officers, 
such as editors, book agents, and secretaries of the 
various benevolent societies of the Church. 

32. Has the General Conference the power to 
chauge or alter our articles of religion, or to es- 
tablish a new standard of doctrines? 

Ans. It has not. 

33. How long do General Conference officers 
hold office? 

Ans. For the term of four years. 

34. What are the duties of the bishops? 
Ans. 1st. To preside over general, annual, and 



IN THE HISTORY OF METHODISM, 55 



district conferences; 2d. To fix the appointments 
of the preachers, and to have general supervision 
of the entire work. 

35. What is the next largest conference called? 
Ans. The annual conference. 

36. Who compose the annual conference? 
Ans. All the traveling preachers ; both those 

who are in full connection and on trial; also the 
superannuated and supernumerary preachers. 

37. Who appoints the time of holding an an- 
nual conference, and who appoints the place? 

Ans. The bishop shall appoint the time, while 
the annual conference itself shall appoint the place. 

38. What is the business of an annual con- 
ference ? 

Ans. See Discipline, beginning on page 49. 

39. How many annual conferences are there 
at present? 

Ans. There are more than one hundred. 

40. What are the names of the other smaller 
conferences ? 

Ans. District and quarterly conferences. 

41. What are the duties of presiding elders? 
Ans. To hold quarterly conferences, to travel 

through their appointed districts ; to take charge of 
all the ordained elders, and deacons, and traveling 
preachers, as well as local preachers and exhorters, 
in their districts ; also to aid the bishops in making 



56 



STUDIES. 



the appointments of the traveling preachers to their 
several charges. 

42. How long may a presiding elder remain 
on the same district ? 

Arts. Six years. 

43. What are the duties of traveling preachers ? 
Ans. They have has the oversight of the other 

preachers in their circuit or station; to appoint 
class-leaders ; to receive, try, and expel members 
according to the form of Discipline ; to hold quar- 
terly meetings in the absence of the presiding 
elder; to give an account of their charge every 
quarter to their presiding elder, and to make a 
written report to each quarterly conference. 

44. How long may a preacher remain in charge 
of the same work? 

Ans. For the term of five years. 

45. How long do bishops hold their office? 
Arts. During life. 

46. What is the difference between a regular 
bishop and a missionary bishop ? 

Am. A regular bishop has general supervision, 
while the missionary bishop has charge only of his 
special field. 

47. How many regular bishops have we at 
present, and how many missionary bishops ? 

Ans. We have sixteen regular bishops and two 
missionary bishops. 



IX THE HISTORY OF METHODISM 57 



MEMBERSHIP OF THE CHURCH. 

48. What conditions are required of those per- 
sons who are asking for admission into our Church ? 

Am. A desire to flee from the wrath to come, 
and to be saved from their sins. (Discipline.) 

49. In what way may persons become members 
of our Church? 

Ans. On probation. But a member in good 
standing in another orthodox Church may be re- 
ceived into full membership at once, by publicly 
assenting to our Disciplinary requirements. 

50. How long does the probation continue, 
and what is its object? 

Ans. It continues six months, and is designed 
to test the Christian character of the applicant for 
membership ; also that he may determine whether 
ours is really the Church of his choice ? 

51. Is a probationer in our Church entitled to 
the sacraments and other means of grace ? 

Ans. He is. 

52. May a probationer demand a Church trial ? 
Ans. He may not. If unworthy, he may be 

discontinued without trial. 

53. How may a member in full connection 
remove from one Society to another? 

Ans. By certificate. 

54. How long are Church certificates valid? 
Ans. One year. 



58 



STUDIES. 



55. While holding a Church letter, to what 
society is the person holding said letter responsible ? 

Ans. To that which gave the letter. 

Section IV. — The Benevolent Enter- 
prises of the Church, 

56. What are some of the great benevolent 
enterprises of the Church ? 

Ans. 1st. Missionary ; 2d. Freedmen's Aid and 
Southern Education ; 3d. Church Extension ; 4th. 
Education ; 5th. Sunday-school Union and Tract ; 
6th. Woman's Foreign Missionary Society ; 7th. 
Woman's Home Missionary Society. 

57. Will you explain the object and name of 
each of the above named enterprises? 

Ans. (1) The Missionary enterprise was inau- 
gurated for the purpose of obeying the command 
of the Savior to preach the gospel to every 
creature, 

58. Where is this command of Christ recorded, 
and how is it stated? 

Ans. 1. In Matt, xxviii, 18, 19, we read : " And 
Jesus came and spake unto them, saying, All 
power is given unto me in heaven and in earth ; 
go ye, therefore, and teach all nations, baptizing 
them in the name of the Father, and of the Son ? 
and of the Holy Ghost." Also in Mark xvi ? 
15, we read: "Go ye into all the world, and 
preach the gospel to every creature." 



IN THE HISTORY OF METHODISM. 59 



59. Is this commission, given by Christ to his 
early disciples, still in force? 

Ans. It is. 

60. Does the obligation still rest upon every 
professed follower of Christ to do their utmost to 
extend his kingdom among men? 

Ans. It does. 

61. Can a man have the Spirit of Christ, and 
Uvea real Christian life, if not possessed of the mis- 
sionary spirit? 

Ans. He can not. 

63. Is every Christian man, then, to become a 
missionary either at home or abroad ? 
Ans. He is. 

63. What is the first impulse of every truly 
converted soul ? 

Ans. To bring others to Christ. 

64. Have there ever before been presented to 
the Church such golden opportunities for mis- 
sionary work as at the present day ? 

Ans. There have not. 

65. Has the Methodist Church met the full 
measure of her responsibility in this respect ? 

Ans. She has not. 

66. Are there indications that our Church is 
being awakened to a sense of her responsibility? 

Ans. There are. 



60 



STUDIES. 



67. Is it every Christian man's duty to go as a 
missionary to heathen lands? 

Arts. It is not. 

68. Is it the duty of those who do not go, to 
support with their means those who do? 

Arts. It is. 

69. When was the first missionary society or- 
ganized, and where? 

Ans. The first missionary society was organized 
April 5, 1819, in the city of New York. 

70. Where was the first mission established ? 
Ans. Among the Wyandot Indians, in the 

State of Ohio. 

71. (2) What was the object and name of 
the Freedmen's Aid and Southern Education 
Society ? 

Ans. It was designed to aid iu founding institu- 
tions of learning for those who had but recently 
been freed from slavery, and many such institu- 
tions were founded in different parts of the South. 
Recently the original aim has been expanded to 
include the helpless whites as well as blacks. At 
present the society has twenty-one institutions for 
freed men, and twenty for the whites, making a 
total of forty-one institutions in all. 



IN THE HISTORY OF METHODISM. 



61 



72. (3) What is the object and aim of the 
Church Extension Society ? 

Ans. It is to aid feeble societies in providing 
for themselves houses of worship in many in- 
stances, by loaning them a sufficient amount of 
money for this purpose. It was intended more es- 
pecially for the Western States and Territories, 
although aid has been granted to needy societies 
in the older States. 

73. (4) What is the object and aim of the 
Sunday-school Union and Tract Society ? 

Ans. It is to advance the Sunday-school inter- 
ests of the Church, and to publish broadcast the 
principles of Christianity in briefest form. Its 
work is largely with the neglected populations of 
our cities, in the South, and along the frontiers. 

74. (5) What is the object and aim of the 
Educational Society? 

Ans. It is to provide for the higher education 
of our people, and to aid those preparing for the 
work of the ministry. 

75. (6) What is the object and aim of the 
Woman's Fpreign Missionary Society? 

Ans. It is intended to aid the Parent Mis- 
sionary Society in reaching the female populations 
in heathen lands. 



62 ■ 



STUDIES 



76. When was the Woman's Foreign Mission- 
ary Society organized ? 

Ana. In 1869. 

77. How many missionaries have been sent 
out by this society? 

Ans. One hundred and fifty. 

78. How many at present are in the foreign 
field? 

Ans. One hundred. 

79. (7) What is the object and aim of the 
Woman's Home Missionary Society? 

Ans. To work among neglected home popula- 
tions in our great cities, in the South, on the 
frontier, and among the Indians. 

80. When was the Woman's Home Missionary 
Society organized? 

Ans. In 1881. 

81. How many missions have we at present, 
and where are they located ? 

Ans. We have twelve annual conferences and 
nine organized missions. They are located in 
India, China, Japan, Africa, and many other 
portions of the heathen world. 

82. How many missionaries are there in the 
foreign field under the control of "the Parent 
Society ? 

Ans. One hundred and forty-eight, beside other 



IN THE HISTORY OF METHODISM. 



63 



workers, numbering three thousand and twelve, 
making a working force of three thousand one 
hundred and sixty, with a lay membership, in- 
eluding probationers, of about sixty-five thousand. 

83. What missionary bishops have charge of 
the work in India and Africa ? 

Ans. Bishop Thoburn has charge of the work 
in India, and Bishop Taylor in Africa. 

84. Our missionary work is divided into home 
and foreign. Will you explain the difference? 

-4ns. The home work embraces all such work 
within the boundaries of the United States, while 
the foreign work embraces all outside of the 
United States. 

85. In what year did we begin our foreign 
work, and where did we begin it? 

Ans. In 1833. Our first foreign missionary 
work was started in Liberia, on the west coast of 
Africa. 

Section V.— The Duty of Benevolence. 

86. What was Mr. Wesley's rule for getting 
and giving? 

Ans. Get all you can, and give all you can. 

87. Are we to give systematically or spasmod- 
ically? 

Ans. We are to give systematically. 



64 



STUDIES. 



88. What was the inspired plan recommended 
by St. Paul? 

Ans. " Upon the first day of the week let every 
one of you lay by him in store as God has pros- 
pered him." (1 Cor. xvi, 2.) 

89. What three facts are unmistakably taught 
in this apostolic injunction? 

Am. (1) We are to give systematically ; (2) All 
are to give something ; (3) All are to give as 
God prospers them. 

90. In the light of St. Paul's method of giving, 
would it be better to give at the beginning as we 
begin to prosper, or to wait until we have gained 
a large amount of this world's goods, and then 
startle the world by giving a much larger amount ? 

Ans. To give at the beginning. 

91. How much ought each Christian to give? 
Ans. Perhaps no definite rule can be given. 

Each individual must settle this question for him- 
self before God and at the bar of his own con- 
science. 

92. What is said respecting the blessedness of 
giving ? 

Ans. It is more blessed to give than receive. 
(Act. xx, 35.) 

93. Is giving a part of religious worship? 
Ans. It is. 



IN THE GOSPELS. 



65 



94. Who is the greatest giver in the universe? 
Am. God. 

95. What was his greatest gift to us ? 
Ans. The gift of His Son. 



THE question is not whether a doctrine is beauti- 
ful, but whether it is true. When we want to go 
to a place, we do n't ask whether the road leads through 
a pretty country, but whether it is the right road, the 
road pointed out by authority. — hare. 

But though we, or an angel from heaven, preach any 
other gospel unto you than that which we have 
preached unto you, let him be accursed. 

— PAUL. 

All Scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is 
profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for in- 
struction in righteousness. — paul. 
66 



Chapter IV. 



STUDIES m CHURCH DOCTRINES. 

Section I. — Doctrinks in General. 

1. God has two methods of communicating a 
knowledge of himself to us. Will you name them? 

Ans. Nature and revelation. 

2. God being the author of both methods, can 
there be any real conflict between them? 

Ans. There can not. 

3. Are both methods equally extensive by way 
of giving us information upon the great and 
pressing questions of life and destiny ? 

Ans. They are not. 

4. The attributes of God are usually divided 
into two classes. Will you give the name of each 
class ? 

Ans. Natural and moral. 

5. Which class of attributes is brought to light 
in nature, and which in revelation? 

Ans. The first in nature, the second in revelation ? 

6. What do we mean when we speak of cause 
and effect in a theological sense? 

Ans. We mean that all nature teaches us that 
there must have been a first cause. 

67 



68 



STUDIES. 



7. Can there be more than one first cause ? 
Ans. There can not. 

8. Who then is the first great Cause ? 
Ans. God. 

Section II. — The Godhead and Trinity. 

9. What is meant by the Godhead ? 

Arts. The union of three divine persons, the 
Father, the Son, and the Holy Ghost; also their 
equality with each other. 

10. What do we mean by the term Trinity? 
Arts. We mean three in one, or three distinct 

personalities, and but one in essence. 

11. Is the word trinity to be found in the 
Bible? 

Ans. It is not. 

12. Is the fact indicated by the term taught in 
the Bible? 

Ans. It is. 

13. How do we prove the fact of the Trinity? 
Ans. The same attributes and acts are ascribed 

to each member of the Godhead, proving their 
equality and oneness. 

14. What is said of each member of the God- 
head in connection with the work of creation? 

Ans. Of the first member of the Godhead it is 
said: "God created the heaven and the earth. n 



IN CHURCH DOCTRINES. 69 



Of the second member of the Godhead it is said : 
"In the beginning was the Word, and the Word 
was with God, and the Word was God. All things 
were made by him, and without him was not any- 
thing made that was made." Of the third mem- 
ber of the Godhead it is said : " And the Spirit of 
God moved upon the face of the waters." 

15. Have almost all heathen nations of an- 
tiquity believed in the trinity? 

Ans. They have. 

16. What leading denominations accept the 
doctrine of a trinity? 

Ans. Methodist, Presbyterian, Baptist, Congre- 
gational, Lutheran, Independent, and many other 
smaller sects. 

17. What great philosophers and scientists have 
been believers in the doctrine of the trinity ? 

Ans. Socrates, Plato, Locke, Bacon, Newton, 
and many others of ancient and modern times. 

18. Will you give two or three illustrations of 
the trinity? 

Ans. 1st. The sun is three in one : There is the 
round orb, the light, and the heat, each of which 
we call the sun, and yet there are not three suns, 
but one ; 2d. Every man is an illustration of the 
trinity: he has a soul, a rational mind, and a body, 
each of which we call man ; and yet there are not 



70 



STUDIES. 



three men, but one ; 3d. In the mind itself we dis- 
cover an illustration of the trinity : The judgment, 
the memory, and the imagination, each of which 
we call mind, and yet there are not three minds^ 
but one. 

19. Where is the plurality of the Godhead 
first taught in the Bible? 

Ans. Genesis first and twenty-sixth. 

20. Does the order in which the different mem- 
bers of the Godhead are mentioned indicate any 
superiority or inferiority among them? 

Ans. It does not. 

Section III. — The Father, the Son, and 
the Holy Ghost. 

21. The world morally and spiritually has been 
governed under three dispensations. Will you 
name them? 

Ans. 1st. The dispensation of the Father; 2d. 
The dispensation of the Son ; 3d. The dispensation 
of the Spirit. 

22. How long did each dispensation continue? 

Ans. 1st. The dispensation of the Father con- 
tinued four thousand years, or from the creation 
to the first coming of Christ; 2d. The dispensa- 
tion of the Son extended over a space of a little 
more than three years, or during the time that he 
was actively engaged in his public ministry; 3d, 



IN CHURCH DOCTRINES. 71 



The dispensation of the Spirit was fully inaugurated 
on the day of Pentecost, is still in force, and will 
continue till the second coming of Christ. 

23. In speaking of any one dispensation in 
particular — for example, that of the Father — do we 
mean that the other members of the Godhead 
withdrew from any participation in it? 

Aiis. We do not. 

24. In the light of the Holy Scriptures, which 
was to be the most glorious dispensation? 

Ans. The dispensation of the Spirit. 

25. Is there to be any other dispensation fol- 
lowing that of the Spirit? 

Ans. There is not. 

26. Was the standard of an acceptable Chris- 
tian character the same under each dispensation ? 

Ans. It was not. We are responsible for the 
light we have. 

27. Will you name the second person in the 
Godhead ? 

Ans. The Son. 

28. Is this the Being who made his advent 
into our world eighteen centuries ago as the Babe 
of Bethlehem ? 

Ans. It is. 

29. Did that birthplace then mark the begin- 
ning of his existence? 

Ans. It did not. 



72 



STUDIES. 



30. Did he claim for himself a pre-existent 
state of being ? If so, tell us where it may be found ? 

Ans. He did. St. John viii, 58; St. John 
xvii, 5. 

31. Would this fact alone prove His divinity? 
Ans. It would not. 

32. How do we prove that he is divine ? 
Ans. I. Divine attributes are ascribed to him. 

Such are: First, eternity. (Isaiah ix, 6; St. Johni, 
1 ; Hebrew vii, 3 ; Rev. i, 8.) Second, Omnipotence. 
(Mat. xxviii, 18.) Third, Omnipresence. (Mat. 
xxviii, 20.) Fourth, Omniscience. (Mark ii, 8.) 

II. Divine titles are given to him. (Mat. i, 23; 
Rev. i, 8; Isaiah ix, 6.) 

III. Divine worship is commanded to be given 
to him. (Heb. i, 6.) 

IV. Divine works are ascribed to him. (St. 
John i, 1; Col. i, 16.) Also such as healing the 
sick, casting out devils, and raising the dead. 

33. How do we prove the humanity of Jesus? 
Ans. 1st. He claimed it for himself : He took 

not on him the nature of angels, but was made in 
the likeness of man ; 2d. He was in possession of 
human needs and human wants. 

34. In what aspect of his nature was he 
tempted ? 

Ajis. In the human aspect. 



IN CHURCH DOCTRINES. 



73 



35. Why was he incarnated in human flesh ? 
Arts. In order to get near to us, and in order 

that the world might recognize his presence. 

36. Why was it expedient for him to with- 
draw his bodily form from among men? 

Ans. In order that he might be recognized as a 
universal, and not as a sectional Savior. 

37. When leaving our world, did he take with 
him the human aspect of his nature, or was it left 
behind at the time of his ascension ? 

Ans. He took it with him. 

38. Will you name the third person in the 
Godhead ? 

Ans. The Holy Spirit. 

39- Is this third person a mere influence or a 
personality ? 

Ans. A personality. 

40. How is that personality proven ? 

Ans. The Holy Scriptures speak of the Holy 
Spirit as a person. The first personal pronoun is 
constantly employed when referring to the Spirit. 

41. How do we prove that the Holy Spirit is 
a divine person ? 

Ans. 1st. Divine titles are ascribed to him 
(Acts v, 3, 4 ; St. John v, 7; 1 Corinthians, 
iii, 16.) ; 2d. Divine attributes are ascribed to 
him; 3d. Divine works are ascribed to him. 



74 



STUDIES. 



42. What is the office of the Holy Spirit? 
Ans. The Holy Spirit is the executive of the 

Godhead. 

43. Where is the Holy Spirit first mentioned 
in the Bible? 

Ans. Genesis i, 2. 

44. At the time of the Flood, when God saw 
that the wickedness of man was great in the 
earth, what did he say respecting the Spirit? 

Ans. My Spirit shall not always strive with 
man. (Gen. vi, 3.) 

45. What part did the Holy Spirit perform in 
the formation of the Holy Scriptures? 

Ans. He inspired the writers. (2 Peter i, 21.) 

46. Did he inspire the New Testament as 
well as the Old? 

Ans. He did. 

47. If we would understand the Bible, whose 
help must we implore? 

Ans. The help of the Holy Spirit. 

48. What great promise did Christ make to 
his disciples on the very eve of his departure? 

Ans. He promised the Holy Spirit. 

49. When was that promise realized by the 
disciples? 

Ans. On the day of Pentecost. 



IN CHURCH DOCTRINES. 



75 



50. How did the Spirit manifest himself on that 
occasion, and what was the object of his coming? 

Ans. He came as the sound of a rushing, mighty 
wind. He appeared in the form of cloven tongues, 
and sat upon each of the disciples. His object in 
coming was to prepare the disciples for the great 
work before them. 

51. What was the immediate effect of his 
coming as seen in the disciples? 

Ans. They began to speak with other tongues. 

52. What effect did this baptism of the Spirit 
have upon the preaching of the disciples; for ex- 
ample, of Peter's preaching ? 

Ans. Three thousand souls were converted in 
one day. 

53. What did Christ mean when he said: 
"The Spirit shall convince the world of sin, of 
righteousness, and of a judgment?" 

Ans. 1st. Every man sooner or later is brought 
to feel his sinful condition ; 2d, Every man is 
made to feel that there is an infallible standard 
of right, which must be obeyed if we would enjoy 
peace and safety ; 3d. That there is a bar of 
eternal justice before which all men must appear. 

54. What does Christ mean when he says that 
the Spirit shall guide you into all truth ? 

Ans. The Spirit is to become our infallible guide 



76 



STUDIES. 



in understanding God's revealed word. Also, that 
he will make plain to us the path of dut}^. 

55. In what sense is the Spirit to become our 
comforter ? 

Ans. He will call to our mind the many precious 
promises of the Bible, and will assure us that all 
things are working together for our good. 

56. Christ said of the Spirit, He shall take of 
the things of mine, and shall shew them unto you. 
Will you explain his meaning? 

Ans. Our infinite possessions in Christ are not 
revealed to us through our bodily senses, but are 
made known to us by the Spirit. 

57. What does St. Paul mean when he says : 
4 4 The Spirit itself beareth witness with our spirit 
that we are the children of God?" (Romans 
viii, 16.) 

Ans. The Spirit reveals the facts of our pardon 
and acceptance to our inner consciousness. 

Skction IV. — Angkls. 

58. There are only two kinds of created intel- 
ligences in the universe. Will you name them ? 

Ans. Angelic and human. 

59. Will you explain to me the nature, the 
character, and the work of angels? 

Ans. 1st. They are spirits ; 2d. They are divided 



IN CHURCH DOCTRINES. 



77 



into two classes, holy and unholy; 3d. If holy, 
they are God's ministering spirits. 

60. There being two classes of angels, will you 
name them ? 

Ans. Fallen and un fallen. 

61. How were fallen angels introduced into 
the universe? 

Ans. By rebellion against God. 

62. Did that rebellion take place before or 
after the creation of our race? 

Ans. Before. 

63. Who was the great leader in this rebellion^ 
and how many joined him in that rebellion ? 

Ans. Satan was the great leader. One-third part 
of the stars of heaven. (Rev. xii, 4.) 

64. Is the devil a real personality ? 
Ans. He is. 

65. What is to be his final doom? 
Ans. He is to be punished. 

66 Can you give me some presumable reasons 
why God employs angels as ministering spirits to 
us here ? 

Ans. Fallen angels are our enemies, and would, 
if possible, destroy us. Holy aogels are sent to 
counteract their hellish design. Also, we are thus 
forming an acquaintanceship with holy angels 
which will last forever. 



78 



STUDIES. 



67. There are different orders of angels re- 
ferred to in the Bible. Will you mention some of 
them ? 

Ans. Cherubim, Seraphim, and Archangels. 

Section V. — Sin and thk Conditions of 
Salvation. 

68. How was sin introduced into the world ? 
Ans. By man disobeying the divine precept. 

69. Is it reasonable to suppose that man lived 
some considerable time before he sinned ? 

Ans. It is. 

70. What may we suppose would have been 
the result if man had not sinned ? 

Ans. He might have been exalted to a still 
higher state of glory and blessedness. It may 
have been the Divine intention to elevate him to 
the place made vacant by the fallen angels. 

71. What immediate effect did sin have upon 
Adam and Eve? 

Ans. It made cowards of them. They hid 
themselves in the corner of the garden. 

72. What were God's first words spoken after 
the fall? 

Ans. ' ' And the Lord God called unto Adam and 
said unto him, Where art thou?" (Gen. iii, 9.) 

73. In what sense did Adam stand as the repre- 



IN CHURCH DOCTRINES. 



79 



sentative to determine the destiny of the human 
race? 

Ans. If he had remained obedient, his posterity 
would have been blest with the results of that 
obedience. 

74. How did his sin affect the human race? 
Ans. It introduced sin into our world, which 

has brought upon us all our woes. 

75. How many deaths are spoken of in the 
Bible as the result of Adam's transgression ? 

Ans. Spiritual, physical, and eternal. 

76. How many kinds of sins are spoken of as 
a result of Adam's transgression ? 

Ans. Original and actual. 

77. What is the difference between original 
sin and actual sin ? 

Ans. By original sin we mean the result of 
Adam's transgression, which adheres to our nature 
in the form of depravity, and will continue to do 
so till the end of time. Actual sin refers to sin 
commited by ourselves. 

78. Are we responsible for original sin? If 
not, Avhy not? 

Ans. We are not. It was no fault of ours. 

79. Are we responsible for actual sins. If so, 
in what sense ? 

Ans. We are. They are our own. 



80 



STUDIES. 



80. Is the same amount of original sin found 
in each descendant of Adam ? 

Ans. It is. 

81. Is the number of actual sins precisely the 
same in any two individuals? 

Ans. It is not. 

82. When Christ came into this world to save 
his people from their sins, did this include a salva- 
tion from both original and actual sins? 

Ans. It did. 

83. Did God make provision for the recovery 
of the fallen race ? 

Ans. He did. 

84. Will you repeat the first promise made 
after the fall, and explain the meaning of the 
words ? 

Ans. The seed of the woman should bruise the 
serpent's head. (Gen. iii, 15.) It refers to Christ's 
triumph over the devil, the great enemy of our race. 

85. How did God propose to save our race? 
Ans. By giving his Son to die for it. 

86. What is the difference between the terms 
atonement and redemption ? 

Ans. The atonement which Christ made for us 
made it possible for us to be redeemed. Back of 
the atonement there was no redemption possible 
for man. 



IN CHURCH DOCTBINES. 



81 



87. Did Christ die for all men ? If so, are all 

men to be saved as a result of that death ? 

Ans. He did, but men are saved conditionally. 

88. Are there conditions to be met with on 
our part in order to be saved ? 

Ans. There are. 

89. Are the conditions the same in heathen as 
in civilized lands? 

Aiis. They are not. 

90. How did the death of Christ affect those 
who lived and died before his coming? 

Ans. He was as a lamb slain before the founda- 
tion of the world. They were saved by look- 
ing forward to the cross and trusting in him as 
the great atoning sacrifice, just as we are saved 
by looking backward to a cross which has been 
lifted. 

91. How did the death of Christ affect those 
who die in infancy? 

Ans. His death brought them under a justified 
relation to God, and having justified them uncon- 
ditionally, in case they die in infancy, he will 
purify them unconditionally, and make them fit 
for heaven. 

92. Do we teach the doctrine of infant purity 
naturally ? 

Ans. We do not. 

6 



82 



STUDIES. 



93. Do we teach the doctrine of infant in- 

nocency ? 

Ans. We do. 

94. Will you name some of the conditions 
upon which salvation is made possible to us ? 

Ans. Repentance, faith, obedience. 

95. What condition stands at the very gateway 
of the Christian's life? 

Ans. Repentance. 

96. What is the Scriptural meaning of re- 
pentance? 

Ans. A godly sorrow for sin, and a determina- 
tion to forsake it. 

97. What is there back of real repentance 
which produces it ? 

Ans. A conviction for sin. 

98. What is the second condition, and what is 
its Scriptural meaning ? 

Ans. 1st. Faith ; 2d. Faith is the substance of 
things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen. 
(Heb. xi, 1.) Again, faith means taking God at 
his word, and acting as though it were true. 

99. Is it possible to please God without faith ? 
Ans. It is not. (Heb. xi, 6.) 

100. Are there degrees in faith? 
Ans. There are. 

101. Can faith be cultivated? 
Ans. It can. 



IN CHURCH DOCTRINES. 83 



102. What is meant by saving faith? 

Ans. It is that faith that believes God's word, 
and trusts for its fulfillment. 

103. What is the difference between faith and 
trust? 

Am. Trust is faith in action. 

104. Is faith a human or a divine production? 
Ans. It is the gift of God. 

105. What must a man believe in order to be 
saved ? 

Am. 1st. He must believe that he is a con- 
demned sinner, and that he, in justice, deserves to 
suffer the full punishment of a violated law ; 2d. 
He must believe that a divine provision has been 
made for his redemption, and that Christ is a 
divine and an almighty Savior. 

106. Are the conditions perfectly reasonable ? 
Am. They are. 

107. What is the Scriptural meaning of re- 
generation ? 

Ans. It is the work of the Holy Spirit by 
which we experience a change of heart, and by 
which the moral image in which man was origi- 
nally created is partially restored to the soul. 

108. What are some of the results of regenera- 
tion ? 

Ans. We pass from darkness into light. Satan's 
dominion has been broken, and our affections are 



84 



STUDIES. 



detached from earthly and perishing things, and 
placed upon heavenly and eternal things. 

109. Is it absolutely necessary to know when 
the change referred to above took place? 

Ans. It is not. 

110. Do all realize the same experience in con- 
version ? 

Ans. They do not. 

111. What is the difference between regenera- 
tion and justification? 

Ans. The first is what God does in us, the 
second is what God does for us. 

112. What is the Scriptural meaning of sanc- 
tification or holiness? 

Ans. There are two senses in which this doctrine 
is taught in the Bible; namely, outward and in- 
ward. The first refers to a complete consecration 
of ourselves to God and his service. The second 
refers to an inward renovation of the entire man. 

113. When does sanctification begin? 
Ans. In regeneration. 

114. What, then, is the difference between re- 
generation and sanctification ? 

Ans. Regeneration is sanctification in the bud, 
while sanctification is the full-ripe fruit. 

115. What other Scriptural terms are some- 
times employed referring to the same thing? 

Ans. Perfect love, perfection, purity. 



IN CHURCH DOCTRINES. 



85 



116. What is the difference between purity and 
maturity ? 

Arts. One admits of growth, the other does not. 

117. What do we as a Church teach respecting 
the doctrine of sanctification ? 

Ans. 1st. Negatively; 2d. Positively. 
1st. Negatively, — 

(i) We do not teach angelic perfection. 

(ii) We do not teach Adamic perfection. 

(iii) We do not teach freedom from tempta- 
tion. 

(iv) We do not teach perfect knowledge. 

(v) We do not teach perfect physical health. 

(vi) We do not teach absolute perfection. That 
belongs only to God. 

2d. Positively, — 

(i) We teach the complete renovation of the 
entire nature. 

(ii) We teach the destruction of the body of sin. 

(iii) We teach the extermination of the ' * old 
man," or the old Adam. 

(iv) We teach the regaining of the essential 
elements of Adam's unfallen nature ; viz., Supreme 
love to God. 

118. What was said by its founder to be the 
providential design of Methodism ? 

Ans. It was designed to spread Scriptural holi- 
ness. 



86 



STUDIES. 



119. Is sanctification possible prior to regenera- 
tion ? 

Ans. It is not. 

120. May all regenerated believers be sancti- 
fied in the sense in which the term has been de- 
fined ? 

Ans. They may. 

121. How is the blessing to be obtained? 
Ans. By faith in the Lord Jesus Christ, and in 

the divine efficacy of his atoning blood. 

122. When may this blessing be obtained by 
those who properly seek it? 

Ans. At any moment. 

123. Is this state of grace demanded of all 
God's people? 

Ans. It is. 

124. Can any enter heaven without holiness? 
Ans. They can not. 

Section VI. — The Last Things. 

125. What great event is to occur at the end 
of the world ? 

Ans. The second coming of Christ. 

126. What great signs are immediately to 
precede his coming — signs which were referred to 
by himself? 

Ans. There shall be wars and rumors of war; 



IN CHURCH DOCTRINES. 



87 



there shall be pestilences, famines, and earthquakes 
in divers places, teaching us that he will come in 
the midst of social disorders and national up- 
heavals, and finally the gospel shall have been 
preached for a witness unto all people. 

127. Is this gospel to be preached until all 
men shall be saved? 

Am. It is not, but all shall have had an op- 
portunity of being saved. 

128. In what form shall Christ come? 

Arts. The Scriptures inform us that he will 
come again in like manner as he went. 

129. What is to be the object of his coming? 
Ans. To judge the world, and to be glorified in 

his saints. 

130. Who will accompany him when he comes ? 
Ans. Holy angels. 

131. What principal theories have been held 
and advocated respecting the history and condi- 
tion of the soul between the death of the body and 
the resurrection and the final judgment? 

Ans. 1st. It has been claimed by some that the 
soul sleeps with the body, or that it remains in a 
state of unconsciousness. 2d. Others have claimed 
that the soul has a conscious existence ; but at the 
death of the body the soul enters into an inter- 
mediate place, there to remain till the resurrec- 
tion and final judgment. 



88 



STUDIES. 



132. Are either of the above mentioned the- 
ories sustainable by the light of revelation ? 

Ans. They are not. 

133. Is the doctrine of an intermediate place 
taught anywhere in the Bible? 

Ans. It is not. 

134. Is the doctrine of an intermediate state 
taught in the Bible? 

Ans. It is. 

135. What is the difference between an inter- 
mediate state and an intermediate place? 

Ans. An intermediate place must have its loca- 
tion somewhere between earth and heaven, while 
an intermediate state may have its location in the 
immediate presence of Christ Jhimself; and the 
latter is plainly the teaching of the entire New 
Testament upon this subject. 

136. By whom is the world to be judged? 
Ans. By the man Christ Jesus. 

137. For what are men to be judged? 
Ans. For the deeds done in the body. 

138. What will the judgment do for the 
righteous and the wicked? 

Ans. It will unchangeably and unalterably fix 
their destinies. 



ND the Lord God caused a deep sleep to fall upon 
Adam, and he slept ; and he took one of his ribs, 
and closed up the flesh instead thereof. And the rib, 
which the Lord God had taken from man, made he a 
woman, and brought her unto the man. Therefore shall 
a man leave his father and his mother, and shall cleave 
unto his wife : and they shall be one flesh. 

—(Gen. ii, 21, 22, 24.) 

What therefore God hath joined together, let not 
man put asunder. — jesus. 

Marriage is honorable. — st. paul. 

A world without a Sabbath would be like a man 
without a smile, like a summer without flowers. 

— BEECHER. 

The Sabbath was made for man. —jesus. 
Eemember the Sabbath day, to keep it holy. 

— GOD. 

90 




Chapter V. 



THE INSTITUTIONS OF CHRIS- 
TIANITY. 

1. What are the two great institutions of Chris- 
tianity? 

Ans. The institution of marriage and the in- 
stitution of the holy Sabbath. 

2. Where were they both instituted? 
Aiis. In the Garden of Eden. 

3. When Christ was on earth, did he recognize 
the authority of these two divine institutions ? 

Ans. He did. 

Section I. — Marriage. 

4. What did he say respecting the institution 
of marriage? 

Ans. What therefore God has joined together, 
let not man put asunder. 

5. Is divorce allowable under the New Testa- 
ment dispensation? 

Ans. It is, but only on one condition; viz., 
adultery. 

91 



92 



STUDIES. 



Section II. — The Holy Sabbath. 

6. Where is mention first made of the holy 
Sabbath ? 

Ans. Gen. ii, 1, 3. 

7. Where and when was the institution of the 
Sabbath rein stitu ted ? 

Ans. By Moses at Mt. Sinai. (Exodus xx, 8, 11.) 

8. Was this seventh-day Sabbath observed by 
Christ and his disciples before his crucifixion ? 

Ans. It was. 

9. Was the day changed from the seventh to 
the first? 

Ans. It was. 

10. By whom was the change made? 
Ans. By Christ himself. 

11. What does this prove? 

Ans. It proves that the Christ was the Lord of 
the Sabbath-day. (Matt, xxii, 8.) 

12. Did the disciples after the resurrection of 
Christ observe the first day as their Sabbath ? 

Ans. They did. (John xx, 19-26. Acts xx, 7. 
1 Cor. xx vi, 2.) 

13. Why is the holy Sabbath called the Lord's- 
day? 

Ans. Because on that day he arose from the 
dead. (Rev. i, 10.) 



IN INSTITUTIONS OF CHRISTIANITY. 93 



14 Has the State the right to pass laws de- 
manding the observance of the holy Sabbath ? 
Ans. It has. 

15. Do the prosperity and safety of a nation de- 
pend upon the recognition and observance of the 
holy Sabbath ? 

Ans. They do. 

16. Does man's own nature, physical and 
spiritual, demand a Sabbath? 

Aiis. It does. 

17. Can all the legislation in the world com- 
pel men to observe the Sabbath in a spiritual sense ? 

Ans. It can not. 

18. How may w 7 e best observe the holy Sab- 
bath? 

Ans. By attendance upon the public worship 
of God and the social means of grace. By read- 
ing the Scriptures, meditation, and prayer. 

19. Of what does the holy Sabbath stand to us 
as a type ? 

Ans. It stands to us as a type of heaven, or that 
eternal rest which God has prepared for his people. 




HAT the Lord Jesus, the same night in which he 



thanks, he brake it, and said, Take, eat; this is my 
body, which is broken for you : this do in remembrance 
of me. After the same manner also he took the cup, 
when he had supped, saying, This cup is the New 
Testament in my blood: this do ye, as oft as ye 
drink it, in remembrance of me. 



Go ye therefore, and teach all nations, baptizing 
tKem in the name of the Father, and the Son, and the 



was betrayed, took bread ; and when he had given 



— ST. PAUL. 



Holy Ghost. 
94 



-JESUS. 



Chapter VI. 



THE SACRAMENTS OF CHRIS- 
TIANITY. 

1. How many sacraments have we in Chris- 
tianity, and what are they? 

Ans. Two— the sacrament of the Lord's Sup- 
per and the sacrament of baptism. 

2. What is the meaning of the word sacra- 
ment? 

Ans. In the general definition of the word 
sacrament, it may be said to be the sign and seal 
of a covenant, and, to distinguish it from a mere 
ceremony, it is further necessary that it should be 
expressly of divine origin. 

Section I. — The Lord's Supper. 

3. What is the design of the Lord's Supper? 
Ans. It is designed to remind us of the Lord's 

death till his coming again. In this sense it is 
both commemorative and anticipative. 

4. What are the elements used, the bread and 
the wine, designed to represent ? 

Ans. The broken body and the shed blood of 
Christ. 

95 



96 



STUDIES. 



5. Is it the duty as well as the privilege of all 
believers in Christ to partake of his sacrament ? 

Ans. It is. 

Section II. — Baptism. 

6. Upon what authority does baptism rest? 
Ans. Upon the command of Christ. (Matt. 

xxviii, 18, 19.) 

7. What is the design of baptism? 

Ans. It is an outward indication of an inward 
change, or an outward and public profession of 
our acceptance of Christ. 

8. Who are proper subjects of baptism ? 

Ans. All adult believers as well as all infants. 

9. Was "any special mode of baptism recog- 
nized and authorized by Christ and his apostles ? 

Ans. There was not. 

10- Is baptism identical with regeneration, or 
is it inseparably connected with it? 
Ans. It is not. 

11. In what name are believers to be baptized ? 

Ans. In the name of the Father, and of the 
Son, and of the Holy Ghost. (Matt, xxviii, 
18, 19.) 



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